The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-08-25
Zeal Without Discretion.

It is interesting to every friend OF tenn
perance, and il, may be profitable as IN
struction to reformers whose zeal outruns
.heir discretion, to compare the action OF
the Prohibitionists in the last Legisla'
ture of South Carolina with that OF the
people of Anderson and Laurens ut the
polls on the question of prohibition.
Not content with the general law which
was already in force, prohibiting the sale
of Intoxicating liquors outside of the in.
corporated towns and villages in the
State, and which allows the inhabitants
of ali towns and villages to control or
forbid the traffic in accordance with local
public sentiment, the Protectionists in
the Senate and House secured the pass
age of an Act providing for an election
to be held in Anderson and Laurens
Counties 70 decide whether or not the
sale of liquor should be absolutely pro-
hibited in all parts of those Counties, in
Incorporated towns and villages as we'll
as in the. outlying districts. The Act
was passed, it should be said, in conse.
ouence of the earnest and repeated assu-
RANGES of some Senators and Representa-
tive from the counties named that 1t was
demanded by strong local sentiment,
and so earnest was this assurance that an
impression obtained that the election
could be carried for prohibition by an
Overwhelming majority.
The new law which it was proposed to
apply to the two Counties under these
circumstances was of the most rigid and
and searching character, as was shown in
the Nsaus and Courier at the time, and
we suggested accordingly that its spirit
required that its terms should be made SO
explicit as to prevent any possible eva.
sion, to reach every possible offender, by
intention, or otherwise. 1t was sugges.
ted, for instance, that paregoric should
not be sold in the counties in question,
because it contains alcohol; that there
should be legislative formula for the
making of plum pudding, egg nogg,
ielly, syllabub, and other such treacher-
GUS compounds; that the presence OF an
empty bottle on mans premises should
be conclusive evidence of bis having
Jtranspressed the law, and that its absence
be proof of concealment of guilt. 1t
was also suggested that watermelons,
cocoannts, soup.bones, eggs, and the like,
should be tested by public inspector,
for the presence of contraband contents,
and, generally, that no point or avenue
should be left unguarded; at which or by
which the treacherous fluid might be ex-
ipected to flow into the guarded district.
ALI this, Of. course, was in keeping with
the microscopic features of the bill, and
was intended to illustrate its truly extra.
ordinary character.
The election was held on Tuesday:
The result was given in the Neps and
Gbuier yesterday. The proposed law
was defeated in Anderson by majority
.of from two thousand to twenty-five
hundred votes: lis asserted that the
white voters alone gave 800 majority
against Prohibition. The defeat is "the
most signal received by any measure ever
before the County"
This is almost comment enough, but 8
few words may be added. It has been
shown that there is no serious demand
Cor further prohibition legislation in
South Carolina, since the movement has
been SO crushingly defeated in the Coun.
ties where it was claimed to be strongest
Even in these Counties, despite the
strong effort to develop the prohibition
sentiment, the people are not disposed to
try an experiment Of doubtful value
Another rejection is that it is always
wise to let we'll enough alone. Every
thing can be accomplished under the
existing law, when the local public sen.
timent is in favor of prohibitive meas.
sures, that was expected to be accom-
plished by the new law, under similar
favorable conditions. The attempt to
run ahead of the local sentiment, or
counter to it, can only resultin injury to
the cause of temperance, by making en-.
emies for it and bringing it into disrepute
and contempt
There is, indeed, in the Anderson in
tcident q strong evidence of the wisdom
and sound common sense of the South
Carolina plan of dealing with the vexed
question Of regulating the liquor traffic
1t has been proved over and over again,
in every part of the country, that pro.
hibition law can effect but little unless it
represents the wishes of the people.
Had the Legislature imposed on the peo.
pie of Anderson an arbitrary prohibition
law for their government, it is plain now
that it would have been dead letter. A
similar law for the whole State would
have no better fate.
The right method is to let every incor-
porated community decide the question
itself. This is the plan now in force in
South Carolina.-CharRston Neaos and
Courier.